When you’re cooking meat, sometimes the grocery store or wholesale club just won’t do. Enter the butcher shop. You get exactly what you want and nothing more, portioned and wrapped in brown paper right in front of you. No plastic wrap in sight, there’s something humble and salt-of-the-earthy about buying meat at a butcher shop.

The only problem is that butcher shops aren’t as popular as they once were, no thanks to regional markets and superstores. Fortunately, there’s Laurel Meat Market. Like many businesses in Laurel it isn’t much to look at, but they’ve been at it for 35+ years. It’s on the corner of Main Street and C Street and there’s a large plastic cow on the sidewalk. You can’t miss it.

Inside and just past a few rows of corner store grocery-type items, there’s lots of cases of meat.

No tickets or numbers necessary. Just walk up and ask for what you need. Prices seem to be reasonable, though arguably better quality for your money when compared to a place that doesn’t butcher on site. The Market seems to have a lot in the way of thick cuts; the bulk of the fare may be wasted on those who aren’t into steak, but there’s also a good selection of fresh-made sausage and full racks.

I was looking for triple ground beef the last time I was in, since the beef at the grocery store wasn’t fine enough for the Garbage Plate sauce. The woman behind the counter suggested their ground chuck. I was skeptical at first, but it cooked down perfectly for my needs. And it was more lean that I was expecting, which is good considering the overall nutritional value of a Plate.

Their deli is also fairly extensive and has received good reviews from HowChow. The next time I’m in, I’m definitely trying one of their pies.